Mansfield Smokes On

Members of Mansfield College JCR have voted to continue to allow students to smoke in the college bar. Passions were raised amid divided opinion between those who believe smoking is an inalienable individual right and those who support the ban because of the detrimental effects of passive smoking. The current JCR policy won a vote with a majority of 63 votes to 44. The vote has checked a growing trend to ban smoking in public places. Early this term, smoking was prohibited in Teddy Hall JCR. On Tuesday the Health Secretary, John Reid, angered anti-smoking groups by saying smoking is one of the few pleasures the poor had left. He said, “The only enjoyment sometimes that they have is to have a cigarette.”ARCHIVE: 6th week TT 2004